DoomRL 0.9.9.4 released!

[Kornel Kisielewicz]

DoomRL 0.9.9.4 has been released!

This releases highlight is the introduction of player Classes -- each
class apart from it's own all-game perks has also it's own set of 5
Master Traits! Choose between the hardy Marine, the nible Scout and
the smart Technician!

Apart from classes, there's a ton of new stuff -- a new basic item
type (ammo packs), new level events, a rebooted resistance system, new
uniques, exotics and assemblies and new AI for many of the beings!

Grab it while it's hot on DoomRL's website!

http://doom.chaosforge.org/

Both Windows and Linux versions are available -- and there's a
experimental Linux 64-bit version too! Also, a MacOS X version has
been prepared, but it's untested yet -- if you have a Mac, please drop
by the forums and help us add Mac OS X to the supported platforms!

As you may have noted, ChaosForge is upholding it's release schedule
-- thanks to your generous support! Next beta will appear for
Supporters at most in a month (and I promise it will be BIG, for work
on it has already started!), while the final 0.9.9.5 version is
scheduled for 1st of January 2012. Please be sure to check out the
ChaosForge treasury ( http://forum.chaosforge.org/index.php?action=treasury
) and if you think that ChaosForge games gave you something, then why
not give something back! ChaosForge is being kept alive and rollin' by
people like you!

Download the new version to jump into the fun, join us on IRC
( #chaosforge on QuakeNet ) to celebrate, or read further for
details!

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Three player classes have been introduced, each with their own built
in advantages, a slight stats modification, a advanced that that is
basic for them, and 5 unique Master Traits. The old Master Traits have
been split between the classes, and new ones added so we reached a
total of 15.

Marines have the perk of being hardy, which gives them +50% powerup
duration bonus, and +20% health compared to other classes. They have
Badass as a basic trait, and can choose between Vampyre, Bullet Dance,
Army of the Dead, Ammochain and Survivalist as their Master Traits.

Scouts have the unique perk of always knowing where the stairs down
are and being generally 10% faster in everything they do. They can
take Intuition as a basic trait and have access to the Blademaster,
Gun Kata, Shottyhead, Cateye and Running Man Master Traits.

Technicians can use consumables almost instantly, and hack any
computer map into a tracking map. WhizKid is their basic trait, and
they can choos Malicious Blades, Sharpshooter, Fireangel, Entrenchment
or Scavenger as they Masters.

The Master Traits are ordered so that each class has a Melee, Shotgun,
Pistol, Rapid-fire Master Trait, as well as a general use one that
fits their theme.

Second big change is the introduction of proper resistances -- you can
check them at the equipment screen and on any item that grants them.
Following resistances are a couple of logical resistances for monsters
(Imps are resistant to fire for example), as well as a ton of new
items and assemblies.

In the item department there's the addition of a rare basic item group
-- ammo packs. Ammo packs not only hold more ammo than a inventory
slot, but can be put into the prepared equipment slot granting very
fast reload for the weapon in hand. They can't be reloaded though, so
keep them for when you need them most!

Finally, there's a lot changes in the AI (and it's still not all!) and
a reworked modding system -- check the forums in a while to download a
few mods that are already being developed! Next version will probably
be a revolution for modding, for a system giving a lot more freedom
(and ease of use!) is in the works... Stay tuned!

Last but not least, there's a ton of bugfixes and tweaks, and I'd like
to take this occasion to give my special thanks to tehtmi from the
ChaosForge forums for his dedication in tracking them down and fixing
them -- I hope that you'll continue to help out :).

Big thanks to Simon Volpert, who has traditionally provided some great
pieces of music for this release (Something Wicked and Of Skull And
Bone). Check the album thread for high quality versions:

http://forum.chaosforge.org/index.php/topic,3446.0.html

A special thanks is also required for Game Hunter, who did a great job
with DoomRL tutorials on YouTube -- while the tutorials are aimed at
0.9.9.3, he already started to do a 0.9.9.4 review which you can
watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRu6-F_91nk
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheUberHunter

Stay tuned for more action -- DoomRL 0.9.9.5 is in the works! Or head
up to the ChaosForge treasury, donate, and take part in the action!

Full changelist follows...

v.0.9.9.4
[add] -- TR#192: Player Classes added! Marine, Scout and Technician at
your disposal!
[add] -- TR#---: Scout Master Traits - Shottyhead, Running Man,
Sharpshooter!
[add] -- TR#---: Marine Master Trait - Survivalist, Bullet Dance!
[add] -- TR#---: Technician Master Traits - Scavenger, Entrenchment
and Malicious Blades!
[add] -- TR#192: classes have now very valuable inherent bonuses!
[add] -- TR#193: proper mods finally -- currently only single-level
[add] -- TR#025: new AI for imps, mancubi, arch-viles, revenants,
arachs and cacodemons, Cyber and JC!
[add] -- TR#---: ammo packs!
[add] -- TR#218: Proper resistances to damage types!
[add] -- TR#---: Something Wicked by Simon Volpert added as Mortuary
soundtrack
[add] -- TR#---: Of Skull And Bone by Simon Volpert added as City of
Skulls soundtrack
[add] -- TR#---: three new level events, one of them really fun!
[add] -- TR#---: reintroducing Angel of Darkness!
[add] -- TR#---: doom menu sound! :P (can be turned off in config.lua)
[add] -- TR#---: ASCII art for AoD, Revenant, Arch-Vile, Pain
elemental, Mancubus (tehtmi)
[add] -- TR#---: 10 new assemblies
[add] -- TR#---: 8 new exotics, 2 new uniques!
[mod] -- TR#---: Ammochain nerfed!
[mod] -- TR#---: RECOLORING - barons and demons light magenta, cybie
brown and chaingun/captain lightred
[mod] -- TR#218: revenants have now only 2 armor but resist fire (%25)
and bullets (%50)
[mod] -- TR#218: imps resist fire (%25), lost souls resist fire (%75)
and bullets (%50)
[mod] -- TR#218: lava elemental immune to fire damage
[mod] -- TR#218: 3 basic armors have some resistances
[mod] -- TR#218: 3 basic boots have some acid/lava resistances, but
their protection reduced
[mod] -- TR#218: some uniques/exotics now grant resistances
[mod] -- TR#---: changed the way Berserker works
[mod] -- TR#---: combat shotgun minlev now 6, plain shotgun reload
time reduced
[mod] -- TR#---: Berserk gives +60% resist all, +50 speed and double
damage
[mod] -- TR#---: balanced some exotics and assemblies
[mod] -- TR#---: Angel of Light Travel revamped!
[mod] -- TR#---: Intuition-nerf - rangebased, also changed default
symbol and color
[mod] -- TR#---: items on explored squares visible (experimental)
[mod] -- TR#---: bridges are guaranteed on rivers
[mod] -- TR#---: lava and acid appear slightly later
[mod] -- TR#---: pain elementals appear more often and earlier
[mod] -- TR#---: cyberdemons are immune to lava/acid
[mod] -- TR#193: removed sandbox
[mod] -- TR#---: arena rewards for specific challenges modified a bit
[mod] -- TR#---: Armory, Vaults and Spider's Lair have some ammo packs
[fix] -- TR#---: fixed Fireangel
[fix] -- TR#---: fixed additional door generation on tiled levels
[fix] -- TR#---: Armory only complete if Shambler killed
[fix] -- TR#---: armor and player name colors fixed at extreme values
[fix] -- TR#---: Armory lever indestructible
[fix] -- TR#---: lava/acid waves generate both ways now
[fix] -- TR#---: proper BB screenshot colors
[fix] -- TR#196: single-monster events will appear!
[fix] -- TR#161: invincible barrels fixed
[fix] -- TR#213: fixed errors with > 255 beings/items on map (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#210: fixed rocket launcher after altfire (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#207: fixed duplicate generated uniques (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#206: fixed lua error for teleports (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#202: item proto breakage at save/load (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#198: fixed lua error for explode levers (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#201: fixed medical/armor Gambler's Shield bug (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#200: archi levels no longer disconnected (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#205: cave rivers no longer disconnected (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#---: lever sound bindings fixed (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#---: missile targeting ranges fixed (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#---: shotgun aiming/area fixed a little (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#221: teleport destination is determined at first use, no
in-vault teleporting anymore
[fix] -- TR#---: restored the proper placement of status effects on
the HUD
[fix] -- TR#220: monster groups are placed as groups again (tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#214: overloaded nuclear weapons cannot cover stairs
(tehtmi)
[fix] -- TR#---: Ammo rooms and vaults now respect difficulty ammo
modifier (tehtmi)